Aces Come In Spades
by koogle
Summary: Cold and indifferent, that's Rukawa. But there is one person he really cares about, more than himself, more than his dream. And he has to protect it, especially from the likes of Sendoh. THe romance is not about Rukawa, it's for Sendoh.non-yaoi
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own SD or any of the SD characters, but I love them anyway…

_Aces Come In Spades_

Prologue

Rukawa dribbled the ball through his feet and jumped to shoot. The net swished as the ball went in.

"Show off!" Sakuragi muttered under his breath.

"Ahhhh! Rukawa! Rukawa!" (Rukawa Oneade Girls)

"Shut Up!" yelled Sakuragi. They ignored him, as usual, which only made Sakuragi angrier. But before he could react, a huge fist landed on his head, causing, pain (obviously).

"Idiot! Concentrate on your play!"

"Gori…"

"I said 'Concentrate'!" Akagi hollered, giving Sakuragi another hit on the head. Sakuragi only turned away, saying, "I'll show you, Rukawa!"

"Do'aho."

"What did you say, Rukawa!"

"Do'aho."

"Nani?"

"Stop it!"

"Ow, Gori…"

"How many times do I have to tell you!"

Akagi was on the verge of breaking into another loss of his temper. "Akagi, maybe that's enough for today." Kogure said, slightly pushing Akagi away from Sakuragi. "Let him do what he wants, Kogure, Sakuragi deserves it." Mitsui said.

"Micchy!"

The gym door slid open.

"Is everything alright?"

Mitsui leaped to his feet.

"Anzai-sensei."

Coach Anzai adjusted his glasses and peered in each of their faces. Akagi quickly went to his side and whispered something in his ear.

"Hmmm, I see. Thank you Akagi-kun." Coach Anzai stepped forward while Akagi stayed in his place. "It looks like you all worked hard," Anzai said, "Practice is over, you can all go home and rest."

"Arigato-gozaimasta!"

As the whole team began to walk towards the locker room to change, Anzai called, "Akagi-kun." Shohoku's captain turned back. "Hai, sensei?" Anzai scratched his chin, reluctantly and said, "I was going to announce this tomorrow, but," he paused, "I may have scheduled a practice game with Shizouka High."

"Shizouka High?"

"I haven't confirmed it yet."

"Hai, sensei."

"You can tell the others about it tomorrow."

"Hai."

Haruko almost ran towards the gym. "Hurry up!" she said breathlessly to her friends. "Why are you in such a hurry?" Matsui asked, teasingly.

Haruko stopped. "What do you mean?" she asked, starting to blush. Both of her friends grinned. "We both know you only want to see Rukawa." Fuji said in the same teasing tone. "No-o, I don't," Haruko stammered.

"Then why are you always in hurry?"

"Because I want to see them practice!"

"Why do you cheer so loudly?"

"To support them!"

"Really?"

"Yes!"

Haruko sighed heavily, "You guys are so mean." Her friends grinned at each other.

"Oi, Haruko-san!"

The girls turned.

It was Yohei, along with Sakuragi's other friends.

"Yohei-kun!"

Haruko and her friends walked towards them, who were already watching Shohoku by the gym door. They were all grinning. "What's going on?" Haruko asked. Takamiya faced her with his goofy grin in place. "You should watch this Haruko-san, Hanamichi's making us laugh again."

"Eh?"

Haruko and her friends turned just in time to see Sakuragi hit his head on the headboard in an attempt to dunk. Yohei and the others laughed loudly. Sakuragi only glared at them, yelling "Shut up, you idiots!" which made Akagi punch him in the head.

As Sakuragi's friends laughed, louder this time, Haruko shouted her encouragement.

"Good luck, Sakuragi-kun!"

Sakuragi looked up and brightened while a faint color tinted his face.

"Haruko-san!"

Haruko waved.

"Did you see my dunk, Haruko-san? It was a 'tensai' dunk!"

Behind Haruko, Sakuragi's friends laughed (again).

"Nani, Hanamichi? It didn't even go in!"

"How can you call it a 'tensai' dunk?"

"Besides, you're not a 'tensai'!"

"Shut up!"

From the far side of the room, Rukawa sighed while surveying the room.

"Do'aho."

"Listen up, everybody!"

The basketball team gathered around its captain.

"You should train harder this week. That means more footwork, more shots and more BASICS." Akagi said, looking meaningfully at Sakuragi, who just ignored him. Akagi turned back to the others, who were now asking question.

"What for, sempai?"

Akagi turned more serious (if possible). "Because…"he paused (for effect). "Next week, we'll have a practice game with Shizouka High." he finally said.

Miyagi frowned. "Again?" he said uncertainly, not really knowing what to say.

"Who?" Sakuragi asked cluelessly.

"Shizouka High, baka, the one we played against a month ago." Miyagi chastised.

"How the hell was I supposed to know that? I wasn't there!"

A vein appeared on Akagi's neck, signaling his impatience. ""Shizouka High, not Shizoka, it's different!" he yelled.

"Oh."

Miyagi scratched his head. "Who are they?"

"I never heard of them," Mitsui added. Akagi nodded. "True, they're not really well-known, but that doesn't mean we must relax!" he said.

"What are you talking about, Gori? You can always relax because you have a 'tensai' here."

_BLAM!_

"Ow…"


	2. Initial Anomaly

Disclaimer: I do not own Slamdunk or any of its characters with the exception of…, no, I don't really own any of them.

_Aces Come In Spades_

Chapter One: Initial Anomaly

"Last 5 minutes, let's give it all we've got!"

"Yeah!"

The team scattered around the side of the court, forming their zone of defense.

"Shohoku! Shohoku!" The stands yelled.

By the door, Haruko and her friends stood. "Wow," Haruko babbled. "They're really fired up aren't they?" She turned towards her friends. Fuji nodded, "Plus, they're up by 20 points." Matsui added.

"Maybe it's because Shizouka's weak."

The girls whirled around to see the speaker.

It was a girl.

She was leaning by the doorframe. Apparently, she has been there for some time. Her arms were crossed and her long hair was loose around her shoulders. Her blue eyes sparkled with amusement as she continued to watch the game.

Haruko and her friends stared. Haruko was about to ask who she was when a yell erupted from the stands. They all turned away to look.

"Rukawa-kun!" Haruko breathed.

Rukawa had made a quick steal. He dashed towards the other side of the court. A Shizouka player caught up with him and tried to make a close defense. Rukawa skidded to a stop, with Akagi behind him. He jumped to shoot. Attempting to block his shot, the Shizouka player did the same. His hand was already reaching for the ball when Rukawa suddenly pulled his arms back, the ball along with it.

"Fake! He's going to pass!" Haruko gasped.

"No, he's going to try the three-point," the girl said from behind.

Sure enough, Rukawa landed on his feet and quickly dribbled backwards, into the three-point line and made a shot.

Swiftly, but surely, the ball went in, like a teardrop from heaven.

The stands sounded like it was about to explode!

"Nice, Rukawa!" Akagi patted Rukawa on the back. Sakuragi, however, stood apart from his teammates.

Miyagi placed his hands on his hips. "What's wrong with you now, Hanamichi?" he asked exasperatedly.

"I…"

"Nani?"

"I can't …"

"Eh?"

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE FALLING FOR THAT KITSUNE'S SHOW-OFF TRICKS!"

"Nani!"

As usual, Sakuragi was up to his usual antics.

"You always pass the ball to him, you never do with me!"

Miyagi frowned, "What are you talking about? I do, too, pass to you!"

"Sometimes!"

"Nani!"

"Shut up, both of you!" Akagi said, placing his fists on both their heads. "Concentrate on the game!"

Sakuragi gave Rukawa a menacing glare. Rukawa only ignored him and merely said, "Do'aho."

Sakuragi fumed the rest of the game.

By now, Haruko has finally shifted her attention back to the dark-haired girl. "Uh, how did you do that?"

The girl turned to her, puzzled. "Do what?"

"Predict Rukawa-kun's moves."

"Oh."

The girl shifted uncomfortably, obviously thinking of what to say. Finally, she said, "It's sort of a skill, that I, uh, developed, over the years."

Haruko and her friends stared.

"A skill?"

"Uh, yeah."

The timer buzzed signaling the end of the game.

"Uh," the girl said nervously, "you don't mind if I take off, do you?"

She didn't wait for an answer and quickly disappeared.

The three girls stared after her, quite astonished.

Haruko scratched her head, "Who was that?"

"Nice game, everyone!" Ayako yelled at the team who were now beginning to congratulate each other. They were all still on the gym floor, and the stands were still cheering for them.

Rukawa was bent over, his hands on his knees and breathing hard.

Suddenly, he froze and stood upright.

By the door of the gym he caught a glimpse of an all-too-familiar jet-black hair, very much like his own.

Dumbfounded, Rukawa muttered, "What the hell…"


	3. Enemy Lines

Disclaimer: I do not own SD or any of the SD characters, I am only a fan of the great Inoue Takehiko.

_Aces Come In Spades_

Chapter Two: Enemy Lines

"Tell me again, why we're here?"

The large man behind the wheel turned to face the dark-haired girl he was supposed to be protecting.

"Gomen, but Ryotoka-san wanted to meet here."

The girl sighed and looked out the window into the waves spattering against Ryonan High. She sighed again and muttered, "I would prefer seeing Shohoku than this." The man scratched his head, "But, didn't you just watch their game, yesterday?"

"Hai."

"How was Rukawa-sama?"

"Fine."

The man stopped talking, realizing that she wasn't in the mood for it.

"Koren, where is she?"

The large man answered her, "Don't worry, Mitsuoka-san, she just took a walk. She was bored."

Mitsuoka shook her head disbelievingly, "I can't believe you would let her go alone."

"Nani?"

"Never mind."

The girl looked across the seacoast of Ryonan. The water was calm now and the blue sky was reflecting perfectly against its cool exterior. The water, itself, looked perfect. "Wow," the girl said in spite of herself. She stared at it for a few more moments and then, headed for the gym. She soon heard the familiar sounds of dribbling balls and running feet. She peeked inside.

"Look out!"

A ball was hurtling fast at her!

But instead of smacking her right in the face, she expertly caught it with her own hand and began twirling it with her fingers. A boy came running towards her.

"Gomen, gomen, are you alright?"

The girl ignored the question aimed at her. She watched as another Ryonan player came towards them.

"Sumimasen. Hikoichi, is everything alright?"

The girl looked up at the tall, spiky-haired boy who repeated Hikoichi's question. The boy glanced curiously at the ball still turning in her fingers.

"I think so; Sendoh-san, she didn't really get hit." Hikoichi said, then turned to the girl before them, "But still, that must have hurt, even if you caught it." he added questioningly.

"Not really."

Sendoh scratched his head, "Even so, I'm sorry about it, it was my fault it almost hit you," he admitted sheepishly.

The girl raised her eyebrows, "You passed that ball?"

Before Sendoh could answer, Hikoichi butted in, "What are you talking about, Sendoh-san! It was my fault why the ball went outside the court. I wasn't fast enough to catch it. How can you say that! How can you blame yourself, so?" A scandalized Hikoichi began to rant on and on, making a fool of himself in the process.

But at Hikoichi's tirade, Sendoh's eyes never wavered from the girl. He began to drink in her very profile, from her jet-black hair to her ebony skin. His eyes came to rest on her eyes and he seemed to drown in their bluish depths. His own eyes were blue, but hers was… a different shade.

Suddenly, a realization struck him.

He has seen those eyes before. He was sure of it. But he was sure he has never seen this girl before.

Didn't he?

Unbeknownst to him, Hikoichi has now finished his foolish histrionics and was now breathing heavily beside him.

"Here."

Sendoh snapped to his senses as the ball was tossed back at him by the girl. He caught it and began to turn it in his fingers just as she had. The girl watched the ball for a few moments, deep in thought. Then, she began to promptly walk away.

Sendoh stopped what he was doing. "Hey wait-"

Too late.

She was already gone.

The ace of Ryonan stared at the hallway, disbelievingly. How fast can she walk?

"Sendoh-san?"

"Nani?"

"I think the others are wondering what happened to us." Hikoichi said, indicating to the rest of the team who were now curiously gazing at them. "Hey, what happened to that girl?"

Poor Hikoichi. He didn't realize the girl already left.

"She's gone. Let's go Hikoichi." Sendoh said, giving the hallway one last glance. Hikoichi looked at him, "What is it Sendoh-san?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"Why do you keep on looking at the hallway?"

Sendoh shifted his feet uncomfortably. "Well, that girl…"

"Yes?"

"She was…interesting," Sendoh finished.

"Huh?"

"Never mind, Hikoichi, practice's waiting."

And with that, Sendoh smiled boyishly.

Rukawa blinked as he raised his arms and watched as the ball sailed in the air.

Missed.

Damn.

He breathed slowly and counted to three. He tried the shot again. This time, the ball sailed cleanly inside the net.

Rukawa cursed under his breath. His concentration was off today. No point in denying it. Two out of three shots simply would not do. There was also no point in denying what he felt, either.

He was worried.

Something was wrong, he could feel it.

But what, exactly, he wasn't sure. He ran his fingers through his hair. Suddenly, he remembered the apparition he saw after the game yesterday. Somehow, it made him even more uneasy. Rukawa shook his head, violently, as if trying to shake the bad feeling away.

He walked towards the benches, allowed the ball to fall from his hands and gathered his belongings. The cool evening air greeted him as he slid the gym doors open. He joined it, eager for the cold to calm his senses.

The nocturnal wind had turned humid as quickly as a person changed his mood. That moon that had been so clear earlier, was now was now covered with humongous clouds.

The girl walked around, blindly, groping for the wall she had lost.

Something was wrong, she could feel it.

"Koren?"

No one answered.

"Mitsuoka-san?"

Silence.

Amidst the darkness above her, she frowned. Usually, they would all come rushing towards her when they hear as much as whimper.

Her hands touched something. The girl felt it and came to a conclusion of a small coffee table. She fumbled with the ornaments decorating it. A candle, a small marble statue and a photograph.

The girl willed her mind to remember which part of the room this table was. She snapped her fingers, Of course! This was near 

A gloved hand placed itself on her mouth, shoving out any chance of a scream.


	4. Hush In Whispers

Disclaimer: I do not own SD or any of the SD characters. I wish I did, though.

_Aces Come In Spades_

Chapter Three: Hush In Whispers

"What are you two doing now?" Akagi roared all throughout the gym.

Sakuragi flinched but did not remove his venomous gaze from Rukawa's face. Rukawa did the same.

As Akagi made his way toward the duo, Sakuragi straightened his back and smirked.

"Heh. You'll get yours now, Rukawa. Gori will beat you to pulp."

"What are you talking about?"

Sakuragi ignored that last statement and gleefully declared, "It's his fault, Gori. He wouldn't pass me the ball!"

"You were guarded, you idiot," Rukawa muttered.

"He's so selfish, he should be benched."

"You'd go first."

"Shut up Rukawa, a 'tensai' never gets benched!"

"Who said you were 'tensai'?"

"I said SHUT UP!"

"Both of you should shut up! We don't have time for your bickering!" Akagi closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down. As he opened them, he began to address the whole team.

"Listen, eliminations are starting tomorrow, we can't let anything distract us. More importantly, we have to work together," he said, looking meaningfully at the two troublemakers.

Miyagi nodded. "We mustn't lose this time," he said, earnestly.

"That's the spirit, Ryota!" Ayako said, turning her head just in time to avoid seeing Miyagi's face turn red.

"That's right," Mitsui added, "we mustn't lose to Kainan, either."

Suddenly, the gym was met with a grim silence.

"Kainan," Kogure murmured, "we were so close to beating them last year."

"It wasn't a fair game!" Sakuragi blurted out. "Think about it. They probably planned on Gori twisting his foot, but Rukawa's exhaustion was probably genuine, not that we needed him, anyway-"

"It doesn't matter," Akagi interrupted, "all that matters is that we beat them this time and emerge as no. 1."

Coach Anzai entered the gym, quietly, observing the team's reserve; he waited a minute before interrupting.

"You're still practicing, very good," he commended.

A chorus of "Hello Coach"s rose into the air. Anzai chuckled in appreciation.

"Well, I'm glad you're all here. I'll be able to explain the proceedings, then."

The team stared blankly at him. What proceedings?

"For the eliminations." Anzai answered the unuttered question.

The team sat on the floor as Anzai cleared his throat. Akagi and Ayako hovered closely by the Coach. Anzai placed his hands on his pockets and began to speak.

'You all know that this eliminations is impromptu, there shouldn't have been another one until next year, when Akagi and the other seniors are gone."

Everyone nodded.

"A committee has been formed and they were the ones who have organized these games. Apparently, they have decided it was time to take notice of the country's basketball potential."

He paused and looked around if they were still listening. They were hanging on every word.

"I'm afraid this won't be like Inter High. After this, there won't be anymore games."

This stirred the team and murmurs began to rise. Anzai held up his hand.

"Whoever wins in the prefecture will attend a 'get-together' of some sort."

Get together?

"A basketball camp if you will. I wouldn't take this lightly, if I were you. Only the best would be able to attend. But, from there, I don't know what else the committee is planning."

Akagi scratched his chin, thoughtfully. "So, only two teams from Kanagawa prefecture would be able to attend that camp."

"Three, actually."

The whole team stared their Coach.

"Three?"

Anzai nodded. "The committee decided to stray from the usual eliminations. Aside from that, it also has a different structure."

"What do you mean, sensei?" Mitsui spoke up.

"Each prefacture would be divided into three divisions, the one who would emerge as the winner in, say, Division A, would be one of the three representing their respective prefacture. All in all, there would be three champions."

Worriedly, Kogure spoke, "Won't that be a little… complicated?"

Akagi shook his head. "It may even be easier. We may not be able to face Kainan, or even Ryonan." He looked at Anzai, waiting for him to agree.

Anzai stroked his chin. "That's true, but what would happen if you do face them?"

'What do you mean?"

"The committee decided to change one more thing." Shohoku Basketball Team watched expectantly as Anzai opened his mouth. "To be the champion of your Division, you can never lose."

A sudden hush overcame the crowd.

"Not lose? Ever?" Kogure managed to splutter out. "Akagi…"

Akagi held up his hand. "It's alright. If that's what the committee wants, we'll deliver."

"That's right! We can't lose as long as you have 'tensai' here!" Sakuragi said enthusiastically. Rukawa rolled his eyes as Miyagi and Mitsui both groaned.

"Stop it with the 'tensai' already, Hanamichi. We've had enough of it for one day," Miyagi said, emitting another groan.

Sakuragi ignored him and continued to grin confidently. Akagi, however, began to take over. "Alright! You all know the rules, now let's practice even harder, we'll surely need it!"

"Yeah!"

A small chubby finger tried to tap Akagi on the shoulder but only managed to reach his back.

"Akagi-kun?"

Akagi turned, "Hai, sensei?"

"I'll leave you now, you seem to have everything under control. By the way, you'll learn what division you are tomorrow on the stadium."

"Thank you, sensei."

"Shohoku's up first," Hikoichi announced as he entered the locker room.

Sendoh glanced up from sucking a lemon and asked curiously, "Who are they fighting?"

"Hazioka High."

Koshino frowned. "Who are they? I never heard of them." He glanced at Sendoh. The taller of the two shrugged his shoulders.

Hikoichi flipped through the pages of his notebook. "I don't have any data on them," He looked up, thoughtfully. "But then, I heard more schools are entered in these eliminations than the last time. Something about having a better chance."

"Who are we facing first, Hikoichi?" Sendoh asked as he reached for a drink.

"Hmmm, Anagoi High, captain."

"Haven't heard of them, either," Koshino said.

"We shouldn't have any problem, then," Fukuda said from behind, "if they're not generally well-known, then they're not that good."

Sendoh took a long swallow from his drink and said, "What time is Shohoku playing? I want to watch it."

Hikoichi answered, "It's starting in ten minutes. Oh yeah, Coach told me that we should watch it, too. He said we should observe Shohoku."

Sendoh stood up, threw his empty can into the trash bin and headed toward the door.

"Let's go."

"I don't know if this is good news or not, you guys," Yasuda stammered.

"Get on with it Yasu!" Sakuragi yelled.

Yasuda took a deep breath. "Well, we're in Division C. Kainan's in Division A and Ryonan's in Division B."

Rukawa cursed under his breath.

Kogure glanced at Akagi who was visibly thinking.

"Ne? What is it? What does that mean?" Sakuragi said looking at his teammates. Akagi lost his patience and punched him on the head.

"Haven't you been listening to Coach Anzai yesterday!" Akagi tried to look calm as he explained what happened. "This means, we won't be facing Ryonan and Kainan at all."

Sakuragi blinked rapidly. "That's good, right?"

"Depends on how you look at it."

"Captain, captain, over there, hurry!"

"Be quiet, Hikoichi, you're embarrassing us!" Koshino complained.

"But we have to hurry!"

Ryonan High walked towards the empty seats, right in front. For some reason, the people were in awe of them, making way for them to pass.

"Sendoh."

The captain of Ryonan Varsity Team turned to see who uttered his name.

Maki.

He looked at Sendoh from head to toe and remarked, "Captain now, huh?"

Sendoh didn't reply so Maki continued to carry the conversation.

"You're going to watch Shohoku's game, too? So have we."

Sendoh looked behind Maki where the rest of Kainan was crowding around.

"You don't mind if we join you, right?"

Sendoh shook his head and smiled. "It would be an honor."

Both Kainan and Ryonan crowded together into the empty seats. Maki took a seat right beside Sendoh.

"It's really too bad. We won't be playing each other this time."

Sendoh turned at his companion. "What do you mean?"

Maki looked straight ahead. "We're on different Divisions."

"Damn."

Maki looked at Sendoh. He looked so forlorn for a moment, like a little lost boy. Maki shook his head incredously. "You look like a kid, do you know that?"

Sendoh evaded the question with another. "What about Shohoku?"

"We're not playing them, neither are you."

Sendoh whistled, sorrowfully and Maki remarked, "You should be happy, you know."

"Why?"

"You would have one less of a nuisance to face."

Sendoh laughed. "Is that what you think of us? Nuisances?"

Maki joined him in laughing causing some of his teammates to look at them curiously.

"Yes, actually. Plus," Maki paused "Rukawa has it in for you. You should watch your back."

Before Sendoh could reply, Hikoichi yelled excitedly.

"The game's starting!"

_Second half_

_30 more minutes_

_Hazioka-32 Shohoku-51_

Shohoku was all over the court. You could hardly see the limpid forms of their opponents. The bodies of Akagi, Sakuragi and Rukawa especially dominated the scene. The stands were going wild.

Akagi glanced at the scoreboard, then into their Coach, who was stroking his chin, thoughtfully.

"Don't get overconfident, guys, they could go for a comeback!" he yelled, vigorously. Behind him, he could hear Sakuragi shouting, "They can't do that as long as I'm here!"

Akagi sighed. _There's really no use in telling him not to be confident,_ he thought.

Miyagi passed him the ball and he quickly pushed through the defenders of Hazioka, who were desperately trying to stop him from doing anything. Akagi passed the pall to a free Mitsui on the three-point.

Mitsui sunk it.

"Shohoku's in top form," Maki commented and Sendoh agreed. The crowd was getting louder and he had to strain his ears in order to hear what the captain of Kainan was saying.

"But," Maki continued, "_We_ would've made the gap 30 points, by now."

Sendoh laughed at this. "Overconfident, aren't we?"

"No, it's just facts."

Rukawa wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. Finally, he was getting some sweat. He thought for a moment, this team wouldn't give him any. Not that he was sweating because of them, more like because he's been playing for some time now. He guarded his opponent, who was trying to push past him, but couldn't get any ground.

The ball changes hands and suddenly Miaygi was running towards the other side of the court, dribbling the ball with him.

"Fast break!"

Every player in the court ran after Miyagi. Rukawa ran, but was a little behind, as was Sakuragi and Mitsui. It didn't matter, Miyagi was sure to sink it.

Then…

Rukawa skidded to a stop, forgetting that the game was still on.

He stared at the gym door. Emerging from it were men and one woman, all clothed in black and sporting sunglasses.

_Rukawa's breathing suddenly became heavy, his limbs brittle. _

_He could hardly move._

_He stared at them before him, assembled, as if ready for battle_.

On the other side of the court, the ball went inside the net.

Coach Anzai suddenly sat up from his chair. "Ayako, call for a time-out."

Startled, Ayako did as she was told. The referee whistled. Kogure looked at Anzai, "What is it Coach?" he asked. Anzai didn't answer but just looked straight ahead.

Kogure and Ayako followed his gaze and found Rukawa, standing as still as a statue in the middle of the court.

Maki frowned. "Something's wrong with Rukawa." Sendoh joined him in his gaze and nodded.

"Do you think he's injured?"

Sendoh shook his spiky head, "Can't be. He's standing alright."

"What was that for old man? Why do you need a time-out for?" Sakuragi bellowed. The other members of the team also looked bewildered. They were still in the court.

Mitsui glanced around him and spotted the reason why. "Rukawa…"

"Eh, what's wrong with him, now, Micchy?" Sakuragi kidded as he and the rest of the team turned to see what he was gazing. Then, he froze.

Rukawa still hadn't move from his position.

He was still there.

Staring.

Sakuragi shook his head, as if trying to erase the apparition. It wasn't much of Rukawa's stance that affected him. It was his face. He had never seen it like this. Not even when they were fighting. It was fear and anger mixed into one.

His ears were ringing. He couldn't hear anything. Even his eyes didn't seem to work properly.

Why were they here?

He could almost laugh at his question.

He knew the answer, now that he thought about it, he knew it even before now. There was only one reason why they would come here. After all, that's what he had told them to do.

Finally, he forced his legs to start working. He didn't have to walk far, they were right in front of him. He started to shake, both from anger and then from fear.

_Rukawa, are you alright? You aren't injured are you?_

Someone was talking, he ignored it and just walked. If he even stopped for one second, he might lose his reserve altogether.

_Hey, baka, what do you think you're doing?_

That sounded familiar, but he kept on walking.

Rukawa reached them, the people in black, heedless of all the people staring at them now. As he stopped in front of them, they all straightened their backs and bowed respectfully. A large man stepped forward and looked up at him, waiting for him to speak.

Koren.

Rukawa drew in a shaky breath.

"Where is she?"

Koren lowered his head, as if in shame.

Suddenly all the sanity in the world left Rukawa. He punched his fist, right past Koren and into the gym wall.

The concrete crackled as it came in contact with his fist.


	5. Winds Before The Storm

Disclaimer: I do not own SD or any of the SD characters. If any of you readers out there, do, however, you wanna sell it to me?

_Aces Come In Spades_

Chapter Four: Winds Before The Storm

"One week," Rukawa muttered bitterly. "you waited one week before telling me."

Koren hung his head. Mitsuoka cleared her throat. Typical.

"There were complications, Rukawa-sama. We wanted to make sure all the details were wrapped up before-"

Rukawa cut her off, "Fine. How far until we get there?"

"A hundred miles more, I think."

Rukawa became silent and the two people with him in the car retreated to their own silence, as well. His anger hadn't abated since he left the game three days ago. It had merely burrowed deeper, right into his gut.

He clenched his fists. This was his fault, he knew it. Maybe he shouldn't have left her or maybe he should've placed more security… the rest of his maybes trailed off. Rukawa turned towards the window determinedly. He'd fix this. He had to. But deep down, his heart was throbbing. Something could happen. Something beyond his control. She could get hurt.

Rukawa's eyes darkened. For his plan to work, he had to have a clear head. Worrying would only get in the way. He quietly took a deep breath as Mitsuoka broke his reverie.

"Rukawa-sama," she spoke hesitantly, "maybe it would be wiser if you did not come."

Rukawa waved her suggestion away. "No," he said firmly in a tone that made Mitsuoka drop the subject.

Rukawa glanced at the sky.

Black. There were no stars visible and the moon was completely hidden by humongous clouds. Even everything around them was covered in darkness.

Perfect.

"My bones feel like they're about to break!" Kogure stretched his body and grimaced.

"Not enough!" Akagi boomed ominously behind him.

Mtsui laughed and said, "That's right, Kogure. It's not enough until you hear them crack!" Miyagi groaned. "Don't give him any ideas, Mitsui!" He turned to Akagi. "What now, captain? More drills?"

But Akagi was looking at the floor and inspecting it closely. "The floor's dull." He announced as if it was some great tragedy. "That's what's next. Cleaning!"

"Hey, wait a minute, what does that have to do with basketball? We have a game tomorrow, remember?" Mitsui said, aghast.

"Using the broom builds arm muscles." Akagi swiveled to face the Coach who was sitting beside him, drinking tea. "What do you think, Coach?"

"It sounds fine, Akagi-kun."

This seemed to shut Mitsui up and grumbling, the whole team took to their chore.

A few minutes had only past by; however, when Sakuragi threw down his broom angrily. "Why do I have to do this? This isn't a job for a 'tensai' like me!" he complained.

Without looking up from the paper he was reading, Akagi said calmly, "Get back to work, Sakuragi."

Like a child, Sakuragi stomped his foot. "But it's not fair, Gori."

Finally, Akagi gave Sakuragi his full attention.

"What's not fair?"

Sakuragi puffed his chest out. "It's not fair, that I, 'tensai' Sakuragi am working so hard, while that fox, Rukawa is out vacationing!"

Before Akagi could think of an appropriate reply, Coach Anzai spoke,

"Rukawa-kun is excused."

Surprised, Akagi looked intently back at him.

"Nani, sensei?"

Anzai stood up, both his hands set firmly on his teacup.

"I excused him." He said simply.

"But," Ayako said, "what for?"

"It isn't easy to understand, Anzai explained, "Rukawa is having a…problem right now. Something he has to straighten out. I can't tell you more, because it's pretty confidential."

Curious, Mitsui asked, "How do you know this, sensei?"

"He told me," Anzai replied, "right after the game."

Rukawa crouched low, beside the overgrown plant he could only guess as ferns. He adjusted his earpiece, making sure it was secure. A figure crouched down beside him and whispered, "Ready, sir?"

Although his features were covered by the dark, it was unmistakably Koren. Rukawa nodded. Koren handed him a package and Rukawa felt the coldness of steel in his hand.

It was a gun.

Rukawa loaded it swiftly as Koren passed him the ammunition. He looked at his surroundings.

They were in the grassy area, the only place that provided the utmost cover. But they had to leave it soon.

Rukawa gazed down his body to see if his communicator was still in place. It was pinned on the sleeve of his black shirt. As he did so, he heard the familiar buzz on his ear. He pressed down the single button on his communicator.

"What is it?"

Another buzz came into his ear before a female voice surfaced. It was Mitsuoka.

"Location confirmed. East Wing, Annex One."

Rukawa glanced at Koren, who nodded, indicating that he heard it, too. Silently, Rukawa mouthed, _How far? _Koren held up three fingers. _Three miles. _Rukawa returned to his communicator.

"We're entering from the South Entrance. You guys, go from West." He whispered.

"Yes, sir."

Rukawa dropped the communicator back on his shirtsleeve.


	6. All Cast In Play

Disclaimer: I don't own SD or any of its characters…

_Aces Come In Spades_

Chapter Five: All Cast In Play

"Third game in a row," Taoka muttered mindlessly. He glanced at Sendoh, who responded with only the inclination of his head. He didn't have to tell him what he was thinking. _It was the third game Rukawa has missed since that fateful game. _

Rubbing his chin, thoughtfully, Koshino wondered, "Where is he? Shohoku couldn't have kicked him out." Like Taoka, he glanced at Sendoh, waiting for his opinion.

But Sendoh was silent, staring intently at game taking place in front of him.

Hikoichi voiced his comment, "Even without Rukawa, Shohoku's doing great, though."

"Their opponent's weak." Coach Taoka put in, "They'll be facing some tough ones pretty soon."

Two men were guarding the South Entrance.

Rukawa didn't blink as he took in every detail. The huge, wooden doors. The ornamental plants by the side. The brown box one of the guards were using as a foot stool.

Now and then, the taller of the two would glance around the area. Rukawa wasn't worried. They were completely hidden and from the look on the man's face, he still had no idea that more than twenty people were surrounding them.

Rukawa leaned back from his position.

It was time to begin.

Swiftly, but silently, he crawled on his knees towards the two guards until he was almost at arm's reach of the taller one. They didn't notice him. On the other side of the entrance, he saw Koren, also on his knees by the remaining guard.

They rose at the same time, ready to make their move.

Rukawa clasp his hand over the guard's mouth and simultaneously planted his fist on his stomach. The guard recoiled and Rukawa quickly hit him on the back of his head, on the sensitive part that would instantly put him to sleep. Rukawa straightened his back and saw that Koren had just done the same thing.

Koren then signaled to the others to come forward. The coast was clear. Without waiting for them, Rukawa plunged inside the huge stony house.

"Yes!" Sakuragi jumped up and down. "We won! All thanks to me!"

Miyagi rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. Just because you scored the last shot before the game ended doesn't mean you're a hero."

"Don't discourage him, Miyagi. He did great, you know." Kogure said while wiping his glasses.

Sakuragi laughed and slapped Kogure in the back, making his knees buckle. "That's right, Megane-kun. See, Gori. We don't need Rukawa when we have a 'tensai' right here!"

Mitsui grinned. "Gee, I'm glad you think of me that way, Sakuragi."

"I meant me, Micchy!"

Akagi cleared his throat, "We shouldn't be confident, you know. Without Rukawa in the next games, we might be in serious trouble."

Sakuragi frowned, clearly irritated. "Didn't you hear what I said? We don't need Ru - "

"What we need is to work as a team!" Akagi glared at Sakuragi, who immediately backed down. "Right now, our team isn't even complete!"

If it was possible to run quietly through a house, Rukawa was doing it. He ran like the devil himself was behind him, not looking back, although he knew that the others were behind him. Carefully, he dodged every piece of furniture and security trap that he encountered.

_Somebody should tell Akagi about this, _he thought wryly, _it's good for practice._

He skidded to a stop by the far end of the wall. Voices rose from the other side. Seconds later, Koren reached his side.

"Two men, probably armed", Rukawa said crisply.

Koren nodded. He held up his fingers to signal the others behind him. A couple of them quickly came forward, simultaneously placing silencers in their guns. They took their position.

As Rukawa heard the quiet ricochet of bullets, he lunged forward, side-stepping the strewn bodies on the floor.

Rukawa picked up his pace. He arrived at a finely furnished room. Two doors were present. He took out a small gadget from his back pocket and glanced at it. Eyeing the blinking lights, he placed it back on his pocket. He took the first door.

_Thank God for satellites, _he thought.

He flew through room to room. He rushed through parlors, a library and a ballroom. He never looked back, but he knew Koren and the others were following him, albeit a bit slowly.

As he reached a lovely sitting room, glass exploded around him as the large glass window shattered into pieces. Rukawa threw himself to the floor just as a bullet grazed his head.

Blood trickled down his chin.

He touched it briefly. It wasn't serious. The bullet had only grazed past it, after all. He stayed close to the floor, the bullets were still raining on him. They knew they were here, that was for sure. It took them longer than he thought.

"Are you alright, Rukawa-sama?" Koren had finally reached his side looking at his head wound worriedly.

Rukawa nodded. He took reached for his gun, which was lying beside him on the floor.

"Return fire." He commanded.

With a silent signal, Rukawa, Koren, and the others with them raised their heads and retaliated. For some time, all around them were sprayed by bullets from the enemy. Soon, screams from the other side were clearly perceived.

Holding his finger at the trigger without pressing it, Rukawa listened.

Silence.

The enemy was gone. It was either they were all dead, or they were waiting for them on the other side. There was no time to lose.

Suddenly, the door burst open and some armed men came through. They were quickly gunned down.

Rukawa sprinted toward the door, ignoring the throbbing pain on his bleeding head. As more men kept appearing out of nowhere, more of his bullets were shot. He reloaded, and then shot some more. Men fell down.

The communicator on Rukawa's sleeve buzzed. Like before, Mitsuoka's voice came through.

"Rukawa-sama, we are nearing your position. Should we meet, or do we go ahead?"

Rukawa fitted his fist on a guy's jaw before he made a response, "Wait for me."

"Affirmative."

Rukawa's team passed through two more doors before they saw the Mitsuoka crouching behind a coffee table, firing her gun. The new arrivals all raised their guns and fired. They went on like this for a full five minutes before all of the opponents were slumped on the floor.

Mistuoka raised herself from the coffee table and quickly pointed to an open hallway.

"That way, sir. Second door."

Everyone scrambled after Rukawa as he took off. The hallway was long. There were no guards. They were probably the ones they had encountered earlier.

Behind him, there was a sudden outbreak of bullets firing. Rukawa didn't even pause to look back. He knew they could handle it.

He passed the first door and loaded his gun in preparation. His guess was right. There were two guards by the second one. They haven't seen him yet, so he shot the nearest one. The second one spotted him, but before he could reach for his gun, Rukawa shot him down.

Rukawa slowed his breathing, trying to get it back to normal. It didn't work, his adrenaline was too high and his heart was pounding too wildly. He grabbed the handle of the second door. Silently, he opened the door and peered inside.

It was dark. There were no windows. It was a miserable place and Rukawa clenched his fists at it. On the far corner, he spotted the faint silhouette of what he was looking for.

Rukawa watched his step, just in case there were other guards in this room, but he doubted it. He reached his destination and looked down on the girl with the jet black hair before him. Relief spread out before him as he uttered her name.

"Kinichi."

Startled that someone got in without her knowing, the girl looked up and pair of blue eyes very much like his, met Rukawa. Tears filled them and streamed down her milky-white cheeks.

Rukawa quickly swooped down and the girl placed her head on his chest, sobbing.

"Gomen, gomen. I'm sorry, this was all my fault."

Rukawa had wrapped his arms around her now, and was stroking her hair.

"What are you talking about? It isn't your fault. It's alright, Kinichi." He said soothingly.

Kinichi buried her head deeper into Rukawa's chest, soaking it with her tears and amid her sobs, one word formed.

"Onii-san."


End file.
